Baby garment



June 3, 1952 s pp 2,599,355

BABY GARMENT Filed June 29, 1949 WW u:

INVEN TOR. ANA A K- 6 TE PP wA M A TTO R/VEYS Patented June 3, 1 952 UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Anna K. Stepp, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 29, 1949, Serial No. 101,950

1 Claim.

This invention relates to baby garments. The invention is primarily directed to the clothing of infants of such tender years as to require diapers, although many of the principles and advantages of the invention are applicable to the clothing of older infants.

The problem of clothing and diapering babies is one which has been thrust upon the attention of most adults, and much thought and study has been given to improvements in this art. However, despite the ingenuity of many inventors-in the field, no satisfactory solution of the problem has been reached.

In fact, the failure of prior attempts to increase the comfort and safety of the child are demonstrated by the wide use today of the oldfashioned diaper secured with pins-so-called safety pins. The conventional diaper has only one advantage, its relative ease of laundering. Diapers are uncomfortable, are fastened with pins which are dangerous to the child, and are difficult and tedious to apply.

Moreover, the usual diaper does not adapt itself to ready combination with other garments. When the diaper is pinned to shirts or jackets, these garments are likely to be damaged. Also, pins frequently give rise to rust stains on garments. Y

Buttons may be used, but obviously lack flexibility and are therefore unsuitable for rapidly growing children.

The baby garment or set of garments which constitute the preferred embodiment of this invention is such as to eliminate the use of pins or other fastenings which might discommode or injure the child. The character of the outfitis such that it is of the maximum comfort and promotes freedom of movement and circulation of I the infant. Moreover, the garments are flexible in adaptation to infants of different sizes, and in allowance for the growth of the infant.

Further advantages of the invention lie in the ease with which the garments may be put on and taken off and their adaptability for the omission of certain parts thereof when heat or other conditions makes it advisable.

The principal object of the invention is to increase the comfort and safety of infants. A subsidiary object of the invention is to provide infant wear which is attractive, convenient to parents or nurses, and easy to clean. The preferred manner in which the stated objects of the invention are realized, as well as numerous ancillary objects and advantages, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description suitable manner.

herein of the preferred embodiment of the invention. I

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a complete infant's ensemble in accordance with the invention, arrayed and assembled in a manner corresponding to the arrangement when the ensemble is worn by the infant.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the shirt or jacket;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a waterproof nether arment laid out flat; I

Fig. 4 is a similar view of an absorbent nether garment or diaper;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified diaper;

Fig. 6 is a view of a sock; and

Fig. 7 is a partial view of the inner side of the upper garment.

The baby garment or ensemble in its complete preferred form, as illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4 and 6, comprises a jacket, shirt, or waist ID, a diaper 20, which is not visible in Fig. 1, a. waterproof nether garment 30, and socks 40.

The jacket is preferably of a form, generally known, comprising a body portion II and short sleeves l2 and is preferably of a soft material. Although the jacket may be of the pull-over type, it is preferablyopen at the front and held closed by ties l3 of bias tape or the like or in other Short loops of tape l4 or the like are sewed to the garment at the side slightly above the waistline of the infant. The loops 14 provide for securement and support of the nether garment.

The diaper or inner nether garment 20 is preferably of the form illustrated in Fig. 4, although some variation in shape may be tolerated. The preferred form of the diaper comprises similar front and rear portions 2! and 22, of generally rectangular outline but slightly tapered toward the upper edges 23, and also comprises a center part 24 with concave marginal edges 25 adapted to fit between the legs of the baby. The edges 26 of the garment are adapted to overlap, meet, or lie adjacent each other at the side of the child and are fitted with tie strings 21, preferably three in number, on each end at each side.

The child is clothed with the garments l0 and 20 by first putting on the upper garment l0, after which the garment 20 is passed around the lower portion of the infants body and tied at the sides with the ties 21. One of the upper ties 21 on each side is run through the adjacent loop Id of the waist before the ties are knotted, so that the waist is held down and there is no possibility of the infants emerging from the diaper.

nous functions of The diaper 20 may be of any appropriate soft, flexible, absorbent material. The preferred material is a double layer of cotton flannel.

In many cases it is highly desirable to clothe the infant with a waterproof outer nether garment. Such garments, both elastic and nonelastic, have been proposed and, some have been known commonly as rubber pants. In general, such arments have not been adapted for cooperation with the other garments worn by the baby and they have been uncomfortable.

The present invention includes the waterproof garment 30 which, as will be apparent from the drawings, is preferably of the same configuration as the diaper 20, and is disposed upon the body of the wearer in a similar manner, as indicated in Fig. 1. The garment 30 preferably is made of any of several commercially available lightweight, transparent, plastic sheet materials, the chemical composition of which is immaterial to the invention.

The sheet 30 may be pleated as indicated at 3| and is reinforced atits outer edge with an edging 32 of bias tape or the like, which may be left free at the rounded corners of the sheet 30 to form loops 3: corresponding in position to the upper and lower tie strings 21 of the di DQ Pre ably, additional loops 34 of tape are sewed to the d e 32 i term diate the loops 3- Th u e e ment 3!! is secured in place by passing the tie 21 through the loops 33 and 34 and then knotting the ties 21. The Waterproof garment so is thus held securely in place, and the closures along the outer ed es provide a measure of ventilation which adds greatly to the comfort of the infant. Also, when the waterproof pants 39 are tied to the shirt in, the latter holds them against slipping off and, therefore, they need not be tied closely a th wa s As will be apparent, however either the diaper 2! alone, or the diaper '20 and the waterproof cover 30 may be Worn without the shirt if desired, although the combination with the shirt L is desirable from the standpoint of retention of the garments with a loose fit.

.Partieularly with very y un fants it ma b desired to p ide se s s ch s, 9- n dance w th the i vent on, the s c s a e p v de wi h oops at the upper nd t rou h which the lower ties 2'! may be passed to hold the socks. Thus, the set of ties 21 may serve the multitudiclosing the diaper and retaining the same on the child, closing the waterproof garment and holding it in place on the .diaper,

t n the n t e arments o e upper rm nt and re ain n e s cks y i h m to t d ape The constructionillustrated obviously is adapted to accommodate variation in size of the wearer. To increase the range of such accommodation, the ties 21 may be fixed some distance from the edge of the garment as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4.

Fig. illustrates a modified form .of diaper identified as 50, of the same shape as that previously described, the upper and lower edges of which are hemmed at 5| to receive draw strings 52 extending the width of the garment. The draw strings 53 at the lower end of the side are attached, as at points 54, some distance from the edge. The draw string construction of this form of garment provides for adjustment to infants of greatly different size. However, the construction illustrated in Fig. 4 is believed to be preferable, as it cannot pucker the garment where the weight of the infant will rest against it. The garment 50 ma have more than two sets of strings if desired.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the upper garment is disposed inside the lower garment. Particularly with male children, it may be preferable to dispose the shirt outside the diaper. Therefore, the garment in is fitted with internal loops 16, as illustrated in Fig. 7, into which the ties 21 may be passed in the manner previously described, so that the jacket remains outside the nether garment A hough. o u se it n ide o uts d loops alon could be provi e as a reetloe matter it is best to provide both.

The description herein of the preferred embodiment of the invention to illustrate and explainthe principles of the invention is not to be o s de d as t ng t e s ope o t nvent on. a ma ar at s of h m o m o he inen n y e made it in t e cen and s ir of the invention.

I cla m A diaper comprising an absorbent cloth inner garment and a waterproof outer garment, each o d t c size nd o fi u at on, t e ment embodying a narrow central section defined by op o ed i a l curved s d on t n er to portions and convergent end sections constituting pant leg portions, tie cords along the marginal edges of the leg portions of the inner cloth garment, loops along the edges of the outer waterproof garments disposed in mating relation with said tie cords whereby the inner and outer garmer ts may be placed in superposed position, the tie cords passed through said loops and the outer a m nt eta n d i as e b d e ation hen th t e cords on e o sed e g of t e leg po ion are tied together.

ANNA K. STEPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nu be N m D 1,329,119 ,Qeorge Jan. 27, 1920 1,929,015 .Collins Oct. 3, 1 933 2,151,462 Bulpit et 1. Mar. 21,1939 2,333,995 Gesund ii Nov. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number cou tr D8 1. .90.0 Great Br tai 9 t- 3. 1 

